Well, I’ve told you enough about how “itsnotthecamera”, right ?? And boy do I mean it. However, this gets not so true if you add “for a given user”. Because any given human operator (me, in this instance) will benefit from more capable equipment once they’ve reached a certain level of proficiency.

I am a *terrible* videographer. Heck, I think I’m the worst on Earth when it comes to shooting video. I wouldn’t do better with a 50K video rig than I do with my smartphone, seriously !! That’s because I don’t know *shit* about video, and don’t care that much either. So an enormous amount of folks are in this situation regarding stills. They don’t want or need any more than their phones or crappy compact cam, because they have little interest in taking quality pictures, they’re totally happy with the snaps they get out of their iPhones and the like.

In many situations, however, good gear will save your day.

My wonderful husband treated us to a four day vacation in the Vallée de la Loire, in central France, which is just packed with extravagant Renaissance castles, truly nice French cuisine places, luxury B&B’s and also happens to home one of the world’s finest zoo parks : le zoo de Beauval. I’ve been wanting to visit it literally for years, and I was thrilled when my better half bought us two day tickets.

The weather was not overly kind with us those two days…

I won’t pretend getting those pictures was a breeze. Indeed, zoos offer pretty challenging conditions. Bars and fences just ruin pictures to the point of uselessness. The Beauval zoo enclosures nearly all have large glass panes that you can happily shoot through, however those will almost always come with reflections to some extent… You have to deal with them, try to minimize them, and even sometimes embrace them and make them part of your shot.

A direct consequence of both chainlink and glass fences is AF issues. Animals generally move (and when they don’t we wish they would !) and nine times ouf ot ten your lens will struggle and hunt like nuts, only to end up miserably focusing… on the bars, chainlink or mesh, not to mention going completely insane on glass reflection. By the time the lens has gone from a failed focus attempt to infinity, and back, your target has moved out of sight. Sounds familiar ??

That’s the kind of conditions when you want top end, reliable, and smart gear. And that’s exactly what I had brought with me on that trip. So what WAS, in my bag ? And what bag was that for starters ?? Well, it was my first real field test of my new Think Tank Retrospective 7 bag, and I have to say I’ve been stunned by how wonderful, useful, reliable, and globally just kickass this thing is ! First of all, it packs *tons* of stuff. Here’s what I was carrying on this trip : * NEX7 body
*SEL 18-55/3.5-5.6 lens
*SEL35/1.8 lens
*Sigma EX 70-200/2.8 HSM DG Macro II lens, aka “The Bazooka”
*chargers for : iPhone, Xperia Sony phone, Samsung tablet, Macbook Pro Retina laptop, and Sony NEX, that’s 5 differents devices, some of which are NOT small !
*various front and rear caps
*Sony LA-EA4 SLT autofocus adapter (mounted on tele lens)
*my large and fat Guess wallet (that’s really pretty big !)
*cleaning cloth and brush
*Samsung Galaxy 2 7.0″ tablet
Yeah, that’s a LOT of gear !! In a bag that isn’t overly massive or unwieldy to carry. We had such pouring rain that I was able to test the rain cover and it worked as intended. Overall the bag is comfortable to hold (even though quite heavy packed with all that stuff !), offers excellent protection *and* easy access to the various elements. I am very, very happy with it and can only wholeheartedly recommend it !!

Now let me talk about my favorite lens for a minute and why it’s more interesting to mount it on a NEX than on a regular DSLR for zoo applications…

Fence, remember ?? Yeah, although you can not completely “see” it there, you can guess two horizontal lines below and above the leopard’s head. Those are chainlinks. However, they are faint enough that the picture isn’t ruined. It’s not perfect, but it’s exploitable (at least imo, let me know if you think otherwise). Well, that’s what a fast telephoto will do for you. Because of its inherent thin depth of field, and assuming animals are not standing *right* behind the fence, the latter will end up blurred beyong recognition. Pretty sweet…

Here you have the same effect but with fine mesh. Works pretty well too.

Of course, nothing beats an open, unobscured view of the animals

So, what does the Sigma 70-200/2.8 bring to the table ??

First and foremost, optical quality. It’s there, it’s patent, it can’t be denied.

Reach. Mounted on a APS-C sensor camera it gives you as much as a 300mm field of view. Which is good and useful to “grab” faraway targets, and for getting up close and personal with (potential) man eaters 😉

It has accurate, fast, and silent HSM autofocus performance

But at the push of an AF/MF switch you can immediately go manual and get rid of any reflection induced huting issues. THAT’s a big plus !!

And that’s when the NEX comes into play ! Sure, I probably could get even better IQ with a full frame DSLR like a D600 or EOS 6D, but then, should I need to switch to manual focus like I often did here, I would be entirely on my own.

Not so with the NEX ! The instant you switch to MF, and touch the focus ring, the camera automatically turns on Focus Peaking, and you can nail your shot with extreme, and unexpected, ease.

Of course, simultaneously turning both zoom and focus rings, while properly handling the camera/lens combo by the lens, close to the mount, is quite some gymnastics and needs some practice, a lot of care, and maybe even a touch of luck. The lens hood also needs to be either mounted forward or removed to give finger access to the focus ring.

I didn’t only bring The Bazooka along. The SEL35 also took a spin

It proved to be very useful indoor when backing space is a bit limited and you want to include a tad more background in the shot, not easy with the telephoto

The SEL35 is also very bright, very sharp, with excellent subject isolation

I had some trouble with the 70-200 in the tropical dome. Humidity is such that the huge front element gets alsmot instantly fogged up, and it takes much soft cloth action to get in back to shooting shape… Here Asato, the Gorilla tribe leader, gives the crowd a peek of his mighty jaw.

Of course, the main attraction of the Beauval zoo are the panda bear couple they have on lease from the Chinese government. The bears are beautiful, perfectly maintained in lovely large enclosure, and the first I, my kid or husband had ever seen in the flesh.

They roam a lot between in and outside, but if you’re a smidge patient you’ll see them sitting on their butt, in typical panda fashion, and happily crunch on loads of bamboo

Did I use the kit lens *at all* ?? I did. For about three shots, but I was happy to have the wider angle at hand.

All photographic things out of the way, what can I say about the zoo itself ??

Frankly, it’s a blast

If you love animals, even just a little bit, it’s a must do. The park is very large, the variety of species is impressive (even though some are lacking, there are always choices to be made), enclosures are very large (for most), and the animals are perfectly maintained.

If you love big cats, you’re in for a treat. You’ll see Sumatra tigers (the amazing deep orange one above), larger, white tigers (I think from Siberia, but I could be wrong), regular lions, South African white lions, stunning American pumas (“cougars” or “mountain lions”), a few rare and gorgeous species of Asian panthers (including snow ones), and the mighty and ever beautiful jaguar (both the spotted and black version).

As amazing as some other cats are (tigers, jaguars, snow leopards…), I can *not* get over the magnificense of the African lion.

Lions are just my all time faves…

My husband feels the same about gorillas. He can spend half a day watching them doing what they do best… nothing !

The Beauval zoo has a very healthy gorilla tribe. There are many babies and even a second group made of independant young males (that wouldn’t be tolerated by Asato, the lead male, anymore).

Yeah, this little guy (235 kg !)

Despite his impressive stature and ever severe expression, Asato is a patient, caring and benevolent leader.

I really loved this Sumatra tiger

I didn’t get to shoot other apes (save that one orangutan image higher above). Truth is I didn’t enjoy watching chimps and orangutans much. The former are very agitated, agressive, and the latter look depressive and half out of their minds due to being captive. My personal belief (and I may be totally mistaken, I’m no zoologist) is that aside from gorillas who draw deep comfort from a functioning family, apes are too intelligent to be able to withstand captivity. They’re pretty much just like inmates, with all the negative behaviors associated with deprivation of freedom. The looks they give you behind the heavy glass panes (all badly cracked except those of the more peaceful gorillas) are soul wrenching…

I wish I’d had more time to watch the bears. I love bears.

Initially, the Beauval zoo started out as a birds reserve. It’s a bird’s paradise

I’d never seen black cacatoes before

That’s how you’ll usually see the red panda

I was *very* lucky to find it active on the second day

It’s quite adorable when it’s awake !

A dwarf otter being hand fed by lucky teen visitors, old enough to enjoy the “VIP” program. We’ll be sure to sign in when Marla turns 10, the minimum age

It’s great to enjoy so many different species, from furry cuteness…

To scaly fright !

Aahhh, maps !

Marla has this strange this with maps. She enjoys them more over even the animals sometimes…

Here I tried to embrace the light reflection in the glass and make it part of the image

The stunning beauty of snow leopards

Funny little mustache dude

So that’s my zoo shots for the week-end. I have a couple more I need to edit showing the amazing training the zoo staff does with the elephants on a regular basis to make their maintenance easier. We had the chance to see them work with both an adult female and a baby, and I was in awe at their skill, dedication and patience…

I was also very happy with my gear and how favorably it performed in these challenging conditions. Coming home tonight I found a parcel waiting in my mailbox. A Vivitar 28/2 close focus. Ugly as pond slime but quite amazing optically. Stay tuned….

very beautiful pictures indeed! It is amazing how the BW suits the lion. Did you tweak it a lot in photoshop or did it come out just as is? I can’t take my eyes off of this animal. Quick sidenote to martin: very impressive work with the monkeys. Watching your pictures (both of you claire and martin and so many other from this community) is humbling and inspiring at the same time. I’m looking forward to a time when I can do the same.
Now about the bag: it is beautiful and not too conspicuous which is mandatory IMO (the not too conspicuous part). Now here is what I’m thinking: For a small body like a nex (6 in my case) with the kit 18-55, pen f 38mm and sigma 19mm, even with a bunch of spare batteries and chargers, there must be a lot of room left. It might be a good thing. Going to vietnam in few weeks, it is always nice to fit extra things in your camera bag: guides, maps, snacks, hats, whatever.
Or there is the retrospective 5. Just 20$ cheaper. Less roomy but apparently enough for a mirrorless camera with 3 to 6 lenses (I read it here:http://www.thephoblographer.com/2011/05/21/review-of-the-think-tank-photo-retrospective-5/). Clearly more suited for street photography with the gear I have right now (but we know this can change quickly with the buying fever) but less so for holidays on the far side of the planet…
What to do, what to do? I’m leaning towards the 5 because I shoot more often close to home (less room needed) and I don’t own a big zoom lens (yet!)… So I guess my question is: do you use all the space offered by the retrospective 7 and if so isn’t it heavy all day long on your shoulder?
This comment is way too long, I apologise…

Actually you need both ! Lol… I have a slightly smaller bag, that will pack a body and couple of lenses, maybe a flashgun, and a tablet or a few batteries. It’s truly the need to fit the big Sigma tele that prompted the larger bag purchase. However, after enjoying a lot of extra estate, I have to say that additional room is very sweet ! Especially if you’re traveling, last week-end I just left my purse home and dumped *everything*, pocketbook included, in the Retro 7, and it was my carry-around for the whole trip. Yes it was a big heavy at the end of the day, but only because the 70-200 is 1.3kg by itself ! I’m sure the 5 is more compact and lighter, but if you go on a trip, spring for the 7 and make it your personal bag, you’ll be glad you did. At least I think so !

aaaah you are too much! No I won’t buy both 😉 But that brings the question of the zoom lens. Is there an affordable option for a zoom covering something like 28-135? I think I was told about good minolta zoom lenses, but is such a zoom lens as easy to use manually with the focus peaking feature as is the pen f 38mm that you recommended? BTW I can’t resist, here is one more pic with it:

Antoine, this is typical PEN goodness you’re showing off here !! And it looks like you immediately put the lens to excellent use, too 😉 There is indeed a 28-135 Minolta older zoon from the “beercan” family, it is sharp and good but pretty heavy. If you’re willing to sacrifice AF I’d consider a modern Sigma 18-125 (I think) it has a slowish aperture but a very useful range, and memory serving me well I was pretty nicely surprised with the Nikon mount unit I tried once. If you can locate a Minolta 24-85/3.5-4.5 zoom it’s small, sharp, versatile, with cult Minolta colors, and affordable. Oops, did I just make you want to buy something again 😉 ??

“If you’re willing to sacrifice AF ” you say, but is it a good idea with a zoom lense? When traveling, is snapping pictures of landscapes, buildings and people on the fly as easy as on a shorter prime?
About the bag I’ve struggled all day with the dilemma “retrospective 5 or 7?” and this will end with the 7, I think. I feel a little bit like a copycat! I might end up with exactly the same setup as you.
But you didn’t answer about the black and white, did you tweak it a lot in photoshop or is it “art brut”?

Antoine, like you I’d rather have AF on a zoom, although capturing landscapes on the fly with Peaking is quite doable… If you have a NEX have you considered the 18-200 E mount lens ?? It’s supposed to be absolutely excellent in either Sony or Tamron make ? (I like the black Tamron version better myself, but then again I don’t use superzooms…). Regarding the B&W versions of my shots I usually do my normal (and very light) tweaking in PS (I have a very old version, CS3 !!) and then run the color shot in Snapseed for monochrome conversion. It’s really quick and dirty but works pretty well, as you’ve seen. I think you won’t regret the extra estate of the Retro 7 !

Thank you for your useful answers. I have to find the time now to try and understand PS and Lightroom as they look like such powerful tools. Right now I can only use Picasa, so you see I’m pretty far behind.

Yes I’ve considered the 18-200 lenses in E-mount but dismissed them because a/ too expansive (around 500€) b/ too big. I don’t know if I am right about this but they look bigger (and heavier) than the 24-85 or even the 28-135 Minolta you previously recommanded. And I don’t need such a long range. Right now I am a bit frustrated by the kit 18-55 but 85 or 135 will greatly suffice. If only sigma would do such a lense in e-mount!

Well (you’re gonna hate this…) there IS the CZ 16-70/4 in E mount ! Just kidding, it’s horridly expensive. Have you considered the SEL55-210 ?? It’s affordable (around 200 pre-owned and minty), and is decent. Nothing to get super excited about, but native E mount, and nice range ??

Yes I have, eventhough I thought it was more expensive than that. It’s so long! 3,5cm more than the minolta 24-85, which makes sense as the range is so much longer. I’m splitting hairs, I know but I’m reluctant to have this huge thing on my darling nex6… Maybe if I tried it. Anyhow, I’ll go to vietnam with a sigma 28-135 (or something like that) that a friend will lend me and then I’ll see what are really my needs and wants for long range.
But thank you so much for trying to help me!

The question is, will you have a LA-EA2 adapter to AF this Sigma zoom, or not ?? Any A mount lens (Minolta, Sony or third-party) can AF using the LA-E2. If you’re going to forego AF, then there are myriad of other options opening up to you ! I have an old plastic crappy Sigma 28-70/2.8-4 in EF mount with broken af which doesn’t matter as it’s MF only on NEX, and it’s super sharp and feather light. I wouldn’t mind taking it on a trip at all !

Thank you, antoine – very kind words!
As for bags, I am looking for a slightly larger one, and my small bag is a touch too small for anything other than the camera and a lens or two. If you can get a lightweight but decently-sized bag, I’d recommend that 🙂

A fabulous post! Antoine mirrors my observations in that all the pics are fantastic but the lion shots in B & W really are most impressive. I think gear is important in most any situation, but challenging conditions is where it will shine for you and make you happy you have what you have in the bag. GLas you had a good time and the poor weather didn’t get in the way 😉

Thanks Tracy, we really did enjoy ourselves tremendously, and ending up on a sunny note on both days made up for rainy mornings… Lions are fascinating to no end and I hardly even started capturing their essence, but yes black&white really does bring the expression out.